This invention relates to emergency evacuation inflatables and particularly to stowage and deployment devices used in conjunction with such inflatables.
In the case of fires or other emergencies at sea on a ship or a platform, such as a drilling platform, it is desirable to evacuate workers, passengers, crew members, and/or cargo as quickly and efficiently as possible. Emergency evacuation inflatables such as slides or slide and raft combinations ("slide/rafts") have been provided on ships and platforms for this purpose. These inflatables are usually stowed in a deflated condition. In an emergency they can be deployed from the ship or platform and inflated ready for use.
Presently, there are certain disadvantages in some of these emergency evacuation inflatable deployment and stowage systems. Some systems contain several components which are mounted in different locations on the deck of a ship or platform. These components may be scattered about over a large area and may be in the way of other functions on the deck. It should be noted that many slide or slide/raft deployments are for testing or training purposes and therefore repacking and recharging may be required often. Some systems can be difficult to recharge after deployment because repacking and recharging may have to be done on the ship or platform.
Slides and slide/rafts are usually stored on the deck of a ship or platform in some type of container which may also be adapted to assist in deploying the slide or slide/raft in an emergency. Some systems are not designed to be mounted near an edge of the ship or platform without the use of auxiliary devices such as aprons or the like.
Often, stowage and deployment devices do not have adequate temporary access openings. Thus, any inspection or repair must be done after a complete deployment of the slide or raft or after substantial disassembling and/or disengaging of the container. Many containers are not adapted to be easily disengaged.
A particular problem has been detected in some passenger ships because of a row or rows of portholes sealed by glass, or other below-deck openings directly below the edge of the deck. In the case of a fire or explosion, glass may be broken, thereby exposing a nearly deployed slide or slide/raft to direct fire or extreme heat. Furthermore, these portholes or other below-deck openings may have sharp edges or other protrusions which could puncture or otherwise damage or deflate an inflated slide or slide/raft. It has been suggested that an apron be permanently mounted on such ships directly below a slide or slide/raft deployment area to act as a fire or heat shield. However, some ship manufacturers and owners are reluctant to eliminate or permanently shield the portholes or other openings.
Panic may often occur on platforms or passenger ships during fires or other emergencies. The panic may increase during passenger evacuation operations because many evacuation systems contain no suitable passenger entry and guidance device such as a railing. This can cause a psychological strain along with safety problems such as falling off the deck.
Evacuation slides or slide/raft are not adequately protected from environmental conditions by some stowage devices therby creating a potential cause for deployment failure due to accelerated aging, corrosion, etc.
There are several different sizes and lengths of slides of slide/rafts which may be used depending upon the particular application. In some slide or slide/raft deployment devices, the volume of the container is not adjustable to the size of the slide or raft being used. Difficulty in deployment may result if the inflation apparatus can first expand and fill the container before it can be ejected.